◄ What Does Romans 1:4 Mean? ►

Having just been reminded in the previous verse that the Lord Jesus was fully human: "Made of the seed of David, according to the flesh," which gave Him the right to the throne of Israel, we now read that Jesus Christ was also: "Declared the Son of God with power, because He was Resurrected from the dead, by God's Holy Spirit."

Isaiah tells us that Jesus was the Son of Man that was born as well as the Son of God that was given, and Paul confirms that He is of the earthly Seed of David while at the same time being declared to be Son of God.

It is only as Man could Jesus be identified with the human race and offer His perfect life for the sins of the world, but only as God was He good enough to pay the price for sin. Christ had to be fully God and fully Man to qualify as our Redeemer.

But the wonderful proof that God the Father accepted the sacrifice of Christ the Son on our behalf, was His Resurrection. It is this wonderful substitutionary death and glorious Resurrection that constitutes the gospel for which the apostle Paul was set apart by both the Father and the Son, and which was promised before times in the holy Scriptures.

It is the Resurrectoin on which our faith rests on. Paul lays out this truth, plainly and bluntly in his first letter to the Corinthians: "If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead." And just in case we still have not understood the importance of Christ's Resurrection, Paul continues: "And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied."

"BUT CHRIST," Paul triumphantly states, "has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep." The Resurrection of Christ, the pivital point in history, is a fact that we can confidently trust in and rest our faith upon. 

Let us read, mark, learn, and meditate upon this glorious truth, and raise holy hands in worship of our wonderful Saviour.

Thank You, Lord, for Your grace toward us who were dead in trespasses and sins, but who have now been brought near by the death and Resurrection of Christ. In Jesus' name, AMEN.